This development followed the release from prison on 27 February of Patrice Fioko from the ITF-affiliated National Union of Land Transport Sector Employees (SYNESTER) in Cameroon after serving six weeks of a six-month prison sentence, following widespread union protests.
Fioko was the third and last of the three union leaders to be freed since their arrests for participating in legitimate trade union actions. Jean Collins Ndefossokeng, national president of SYNESTER, and Joseph Deudie, president of SYNACPROCAM, were released on 30 January 2015.
The ITF wrote to the Cameroon prime minister twice to demand the men’s release and its affiliates from at least 18 countries protested to him and sent solidarity messages to the Cameroon unions. Support came from road transport unions in Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Guinée-Conakry, India, Japan, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Poland, Senegal, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo and Turkey.
ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said: “We are delighted by Patrice’s release and the dropping of all charges against him, Jean Collins and Joseph. I hope this signals a shift in attitude by the Cameroon authorities towards legitimate trade union activities.
“I have no doubt that the outcry from unions across the world helped to achieve this positive outcome and we will continue to support our brothers and sisters in Cameroon.”
The two unions had planned a strike on 19 January to protest against changes imposed by state-approved insurance companies. The insurers have switched the frequency of the vehicle owner’s premium payments from one month to three and now refuse to cover the driver in the event of an accident. In organising the strike, the unions had followed all Cameroon’s legal procedures.
